Becoming a police officer

[alwayslive]

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[T4RAWR]

attend a career fair or info session.

for vpd you must be able to run 2.4km in 12 minutes and run your popat in 4:45.

all other agencies just require you to run your popat.

rcmp have you run the pare which is slightly different.

you should get some volunteer experience under your belt and some schooling as well.

[racerman88]

VPD and RCMP have information sessions at the Justice Institute.
You just have to check their sites for the next session.

Join the VPD | Vancouver Police Department

British Columbia Recruiting Events - Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[stewie]

Originally Posted by T4RAWR

attend a career fair or info session.

for vpd you must be able to run 2.4km in 12 minutes and run your popat in 4:45.

all other agencies just require you to run your popat.

rcmp have you run the pare which is slightly different.

you should get some volunteer experience under your belt and some schooling as well.

not 100% sure, but i think you need a minimum of 30 post secondary credits to apply. can be done in 1 - 1.5 years taking night school at bcit/douglas/anywhere (if you currently cant take time off work)

my future hopefully with be: fire dept as plan A, vpd as plan B, CBSA or paramedic as plan C.

[noclue]

I used to dream about being RCMP before other opportunities, even did the RPAB test. I don't know why but municipal police don't seem as cool as the RCMP even though they pay better.

Keep in mind you really have to commit, its not just pulling over teenagers without N signs.
-You see the worst of society everyday. Also you see lots of dead bodies/gore.
-The shifts are typically 12 hours, 4 days a week. 2 day shift, 2 night shift.
-If you join RCMP you may get sent to the middle of nowhere though I heard if you are Asian and speak fluently there's a good chance you get sent to the lower mainland.
-RCMP you dont need post-secondary, VPD you do. VPD you need 30 references which is quite steep, RCMP was much lower.
-If you have shady family members or friends your application is finished.
-If you get caught on the lie detector your application is permanently finished.
-you need to be clear of all drugs for at least 3 years
-no gambling problems or in huge debt

Blue Line forum section is a great place to learn about the application process.
that's all I can think off the top of my head. If you can handle the stress of the job I think its an awesome career choice.

[stewie]

Originally Posted by noclue

-If you join RCMP you may get sent to the middle of nowhere though I heard if you are Asian and speak fluently there's a good chance you get sent to the lower mainland.

i was working as first aid with an rcmp officer last year. we got to talking about joining etc. he said your able to pick two locations where you'd like to work in canada and they'll try to set you in one of them, if not, then you get to go wherever they put you.

[kkthind]

2.4km in 12 minutes?
In highschool, I did 2km in 16 minutes
Damn I'm not fit for this yet
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[stewie]

Originally Posted by kkthind

2.4km in 12 minutes?
In highschool, I did 2km in 16 minutes
Damn I'm not fit for this yet
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I've seen some of the officers...I'm guessing it's only a one time thing lol
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[quasi]

Originally Posted by kkthind

2.4km in 12 minutes?
In highschool, I did 2km in 16 minutes
Damn I'm not fit for this yet
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It's not that hard, if a fat slug like me can do it with a month of practice anyone can do it. I wouldn't be able to do it today but if I knew I had to do it in a month I'm confident I could be ready. I've applied in the past a few times wanted to get in but tickets and a couple other things tripped me up in my one on one interview. I still had the panel interview, background check and polygraph so I was no where near close to getting in at that time.

The POPAT and PARE aren't hard either, I've done them both and did one of them a couple years back in my mid 30's and passed no problem, I'm probably 50 pounds heavier then I should be so take that as a gauge.

The written stuff (first step in the process) is very easy in my opinion. I actually think if I applied now I'd have a decent chance, doesn't hurt my wifes uncle does interviews and background checks for the RCMP but I don't know changing careers now seems crazy.

[noclue]

I think the 2.4km in 12 minutes is only for VPD. you run through stanley park and after a hour rest you do the POPAT or something like that.

Selection Package - Royal Canadian Mounted Police
These are all the questionnaire you have to fill out. Check it out there are some funny questions.

If you did things abroad that are legal there but illegal in Canada like weed/hookers that'll get you disqualified as well. Downloading songs illegally is bad as well.

Generally if you did bad things you have to put a minimum of 3 years distance behind. Though I heard pirating software/songs is 1 year wait. Oh and if you did REALLY bad things like rape/drug smuggling/arson dont bother cause they'll arrest you during the lie detector test lol. I heard a story about a guy who admitted hooking up with a drunk chick and got detained cause there was no consent.

[alwayslive]

does anyone know how the drug testing work? I've done quite a bit of marajuana in the past..
Oh and thanks for the very detailed responses everyone! I'm already on my way to get my bachelor's and I'm pretty fit so those won't be a problem. I do have a small police record (not criminal) from high school
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[stewie]

anyone know about the polygraph as well??

i dont use drugs (coke/E when i was in my early 20's for maybe 1 year), i dont drink anymore, never had a ticket etc...

what kind of questions do they ask?

[cdizzle_996]

From person experience my peers ruined it for me. I was deferred not for having used marijuana in the past, but for currently associating with some one and know they've recently used marijuana.
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[quasi]

Originally Posted by stewie

anyone know about the polygraph as well??

i dont use drugs (coke/E when i was in my early 20's for maybe 1 year), i dont drink anymore, never had a ticket etc...

what kind of questions do they ask?

For me they wanted me to tell the every single time I ever did drugs and they ask you to explain what happened and what the situation was. They want to know every ticket you've ever had, they want to know about every single one of them the situation in why you did what you did, your thought process ect. The samething with accidents and fights. The interview I did was long, they basically have you fill out a document ahead of time that is pages and pages and then they go through it asking you about the things you filled out, stuff I've mentioned above and more.

They want to know if you've ever been affiliated with gangs or if anyone you know or related to has been. Same with criminal convictions, they want to know if any of your friends are immediate family have ever been convicted of anything and they'll question you on that stuff.

If you've used drugs in the past you are not totally passed over but you have to show you haven't done it in a long time and that you've made changes. The same goes with any other negatives like speeding tickets ect.... If you were smoking pot last year and have recent tickets among other things you probably have no chance of getting hired right now. They want to see you've made changes in your life if you have negative attributes in your past. If you were a social user they may overlook it if enough time has past, if you were a junky or used a lot you'll have no chance.

I cant remember if the polygraph comes before or after panel interview but if you get that far there going to ask you all the same questions again, if you lie about anything and they find out you're out.

[BBMme]

From experience before you apply. Get those volunteering hours under your belt. Education is nice, but volunteering and life experience tells them a lot about yourself. Many people I know who had degrees didnt make it passed the first interview. Where i know people with bare minimum education but tons of volunteering hours and experience who are on their final phase

[Inaii]

My assistant manager at work is currently working on his application to the VPD. He told me the same thing BBMme said, they want to know you have leadership skills and life experience, not that you can sit in a room and take notes. He also said that when they do the polygraph, they ask you the same set of questions twice to see if there's any differences between answers. If you answer differently, they basically treat you like a criminal (this is what he told me from a friend who went through it).

Also, for the RCMP I was told that because of a knee injury I acquired in high school playing sports, I would be ineligible for entry. So I guess if you have any sports injuries that still bother you today, ask about it before you apply.

[subordinate]

Then you can do this,

B.C. cops caught snorting cocaine, sleeping with prostitutes and drunk driving: police watchdog report

Seriously though, I agree, with the physical test, they should maintain that standard in the department. If a member becomes overweight, he/she should be on desk duty or traffic control.

& Lie detector, I find is B.S. If it isn't admissible in court, then why should it be used to determine candidacy. Sociopaths are good liars, I've read (just saying).

I say, background check, a thorough/multiple interviews, the 30 reference check, and other tidbits should be a good representation of character.

[J____]

4 years ago, I decided to try out for the rcmp for shits and giggles. Passed everything and decided to pull out before going off to saskatchuwan for their training camp.
Their physical is pretty tough, it's an small obstacle course in a gym but doing it straight for 6 laps is quite demanding. I was in great shape going to the gym every 3 days and running 10km every morning in under 45 mins and found that test rough. With RCMP they can relocate you to anywhere in Canada, which is fine but if you have family in vancouver and get relocated to Yellowknife, it can be a game changer. I pulled out because I decided I won't be able to leave my work attitude at work and not bring it home. You've got to be somewhat of a hardass and prick to be a cop dealing with bad people everyday and I can't just drop that attitude and not have it affect my family and friends. If you're looking at the money to be a cop (which is very low considering you're putting your life on the line everyday) then you should not become a cop. Being a cop is about serving the people and you really have to have a passion about that and not the money.

[Doubl3_H]

Regarding the RCMP, running the laps for the PARE test was not a problem. I averaged 24seconds per lap, which according to the examiner was above par, but what almost killed me was the weights at the end, barely had any strength left.

Im still waiting for my interview.

[kkthind]

if I wanted to be a cop, and Surrey is low on cops, can't I just say put me in Surrey?
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[SupMKIV]

Originally Posted by kkthind

if I wanted to be a cop, and Surrey is low on cops, can't I just say put me in Surrey?
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No. It does not work like that.

[kkthind]

Originally Posted by SupMKIV

No. It does not work like that.

But I thought Surrey us short on police and Surrey needs more cops
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[tubbs]

whalley.. GG

[SupMKIV]

Originally Posted by kkthind

But I thought Surrey us short on police and Surrey needs more cops
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Well you could request three places(province wise) Say if you chose BC for the first option, Alberta for the second, and Sask for the third they will try their best to pick the first option for you but it could be anywhere. In BC or any other province usually places where your second language could help is where you are sent(you're punjabi so surrey is viable option as well as other places such as mission or osoyoos, etc.) At least that is how I have noticed it so far as I have a few friends in the RCMP and few friends in municipal forces.

If you plan on applying do it, it doesn't hurt. I've applied just recently to three different forces(one including the RCMP). Just started upping my cardio training as well...

[Tone Loc]

Live like a monk for a couple of years, dis-associate yourself from friends/family members involved in illegal activities (yes, even those who smoke marijuana from time to time), and take a few courses or certificate in a criminology field.

I know several people who have been deferred for the smallest (IMO) things such as illegal downloading, speeding/traffic tickets, stealing from work (services-wise counts too, such as giving your buddy a discount if you work retail), and drug usage/underage drinking in high school. You also need really good references, as mentioned above. Don't even think about downplaying/lying about your previous involvements in illegal activity (if any) as they will go over your entire life with a fine-toothed comb and polygraph you when necessary.

That said, they want someone with relevant life experience. 99% of the time, an East Van/Whalley type of guy who grew up in a "rough" part of town will get a lot farther - despite SMALL amounts of illegal actions - than some pampered rich kid from the West Side who has never had any sort of life experience with a clean record. It's a fine balance; they want to see that your experiences in life show a familiarity with crime/illegality without actually dabbling in it. Does that make sense? Because how the f*ck are you going to detect crime when you have zero clue what to look for?

Obviously being physically fit helps too, but let's be cereal here: any reasonably fit person who puts in a month of solid training can easily ace either the POPAT or the PARE. That is important too, but it's the stuff you CAN'T change, i.e., your life experiences, previous criminality, friends/associates (even in the past) that are way more likely to screw you over.

As someone said above, do some volunteer work with VPD Community Safety or RCMP Auxiliary to see if you're really fit for the job. You'll also get invaluable training that will really help if you do decide to become a cop as you'll already be ahead of the curve in terms of knowledge/experience. Like someone else said above, you'll pretty much be exposed to the worst parts of society every single day you work. So think about it, I know a few people who just couldn't handle the type of work that policing involves and quit.

You may think the money is good, but honestly unless you REALLY want to be a police officer, you can find similarly-paying jobs with a lot less psychological/mental/emotional/physical impact. Just my $0.02